Despite legal mandates and annual budget allocations, Pune's roadside tree plantation remains far below the required levels. Environmentalists and activists have slammed civic authorities for failing to plant and maintain trees along roads and dividers, accusing them of mismanagement and inaction. The multiple dividers at Gultekdi Chowk, Gangadham Chowk, Market Yard Road, Yerawada, Hadapsar and other areas allocated for small tree plantation remain incomplete, and existing trees are in deteriorated condition. The civic administration has neglected these areas despite budget sanctions, say activists.

Ameet Singh, economist and environmentalist, speaking to The Free Press Journal said, "As per the Tree Act Schedule 1 [Section 7(H)], one tree should be planted at 10-metre intervals on both sides of the roads under various uses. We have been highlighting this for many years to the dedicated department. However, the garden department complains that they are not getting spaces from the road department, while the road department blames the garden department. They are playing a blame game instead of working on proper tree plantation along the roads."

"Pune has around 2,000-2,100 kilometres of roads. Accordingly, approximately 20 lakh trees should be on the roadsides alone. However, the actual number is very low, reaching approximately only 3-3.5 lakh trees. The civic bodies have no shortage of funds, yet they are not functioning properly," he added.

Samaiirah Rathore, another activist, expressed, "The dividers have been structured for tree plantation on roads going from Camp to Kondhwa. However, they are empty and don't have enough plants. The situation is the same at Vishrantwadi Road, Fatima Nagar and Wanawadi roads. The civic administration needs to plant more trees at the dedicated places they have created. Of course, money for tree plantation would have been sanctioned by higher officials every year, but we don't see that it has been spent in the right places," she added.

Meanwhile, Ashok Ghorpade, Head of Garden Department, Pune Municipal Corporation, said, "Tree plantation at required dividers on roads is ongoing. However, in a few places, it has been halted due to the construction of flyovers and roads. We will recheck the remaining areas that come under the garden department, and plants will be installed soon."